g u s t funnel

Aventinus

Are you a beer person?  I am.  I've tried to get sophisticated with wine but I can't quite get into it.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good glass of wine but it just doesn't quite do it for me like a cold beer.  When I was in college, I spent 3 glorious months working at a small biergarten outside of Frankfurt, Germany...it was here that my question of beer vs. wine was firmly answered.  Every night, after the tables and taps were cleaned, I'd sit down with the owner and throw a couple back.  Those are great memories. 

There was one beer that we served, the HefeDunkel ("Dark Wheat"), that I particularly enjoyed above all others.  Most people in the US are familiar with the Hefeweizen, which has become pretty popular in recent years (e.g. Blue Moon), but I was never a fan of the light wheet beer and I refuse to drink my beer with a fruit in it.  I've searched all over for a dark wheat beer with a similar taste (and strength) to the HefeDunkel, but I have been unsuccesful...until now. 

A few months back I stopped into a local Chicago sports bar, The HopHaus, and gazed at the extensive beer list.  To my salivating delight, they carried a dark wheat beer, the Schneider Aventinus, and I promptly ordered one.  Immediately, I was taken back to those warm nights sitting outside in Der Gundhof.  I was so excited I nearly began to Polka.  I've been back to the HopHaus a few times and they never cease to satiate my Aventinus craving.  I love this beer...and you should, too.

May the hops be always at your back,

5 Songs

M. Ward To Go Home

If you haven't yet heard this guy, either solo or via "She and Him" you need to crawl out of your hibernation and get with the picture, mane.  This song makes me want to put some new socks on, run briefly, then slide across my hardwood floor...over and over again.

Fleet Foxes Mykonos

I say God Damn! These guys are frickin' incredible.  Perfect music for the changing of the leaves...and I get to see them live in a few weeks.

Conor Oberst Sausalito

Back in the day, I actually seriously pondered moving on to a houseboat in Sausalito...maybe, some day, I'll make this dream a reality.  This is for the Yay Area.

Spoon Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke Cover)

I love to Spoon, er I mean Spoon.  I also love Sam Cooke, that master of Soul.  Note to self: learn to sing this karaoke-style, passionate love to follow.

Ben Harper, Elliot Smith & Ray Davies Waterloo Sunset

I've been listening to a lot of Kinks lately and this is one of my favorites, sung by the late Elliot Smith.  If you haven't revisited Ray Davies & Co., I suggest you do so.  Get kinky.

May the melody be always at your back,

Vinyl Resolution

So, I recently read this article about how hippie godfather Neil Young has serious issues with how the digitization of music (iTunes) has led to a decline in audio quality playback.  I've long held this similar belief, but I also love to take my music everywhere I go so long ago I benched my turntables and vinyl shopping in favor of the ultra-convenient downloadable format.  Over the years, I've contemplated going back to records and getting a digital converter...but that also poses a lot of inconvenience...so again, I opted for the lazy way out.

However, I recently stopped into a local record shop and discovered, much to my pleasant surprise, that many labels are offering a free downloadable version with purchase of the vinyl edition.  You can't imagine my excitement...of course the vinyl is more expensive, sometimes double that of an iTunes purchase, but that hardly matters to a music freak like myself.  I promptly plopped down some of my hard earned scrill on some Kinks, M. Ward, My Morning Jacket and Spoon and practically skipped home.  I pulled one of my turntables off the shelf, dusted it off, and let 'er rip.  You know what?  Neil Young is right, there really is a full-bodiedness to vinylthat just doesn't come across in its digital counterpart.  It's like Miller Lite vs. Sierra Nevada, for lack of a better analogy.  Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

May the grooves be always at your back,

 

Hurricane Gustfunnel

So, I'm feelin' it again...I can't really explain why I come and go with this whole bloggin' thing, but that's the way it is.  As always, I'll try to be more regular...like a Metamucil addict.

Today's topic is brought to you by the new Walkmen album, "You and Me". 

You know what job I want?  I want to be the guy that gets to name Hurricanes and/or Tropical Storms.  I'd prefer Hurricanes, of course, but I can only imaginethe number of people I'd have to sleep with at the Weatherological Society to get that plum gig. Six, maybe?

Anyway, can you imagine the guy that gets to father multiple storms per year?  The sweet, stormy irony of it all is that he's probably living somewhere in Fiji, drinkin' Kava, eating people and laughing it up while he throws out gems like "Gustav" and "Hannah".   I could do so much better, so here we go:

Hurricane Applebee, Hurricane Battlebot, Hurricane Caine, Hurricane Destroyer, Hurricane Epilepsy, Hurricane Fantasia, Hurricane Gurgle, Hurricane Hypochondriac, Hurricane Icahn, Hurricane Jellyfish, Hurricane Kharma Kameleon, Hurricane Laserface, Hurricane Mongo, Hurricane Napkin, Hurricane Optimus, Hurricane Prime, Hurricane Q-tip, Hurricane Rip-your-face-off, Hurricane Sucky, Hurricane Telecommunication, Hurricane Udders, Hurricane Vasectomy, Hurricane Wham!, Hurricane Xanax, Hurricane Yanni, Hurricane Zazra

May the Applebee always at your back,